1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector used for connecting electric devices to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electric devices are mounted in an automobile. A conventional wire harness has been used for connecting these electric devices to each other. The wire harness comprises a plurality of electric wire and a plurality of connectors attached to the ends of the electric wire. Each connection of the wire harness to a receiving connector fixed to a case of each electric device allows the electric devices to connect to each other. Note that the receiving connector is referred to as a connector fixed to a panel or a case.
When the electric devices are connected each other by using large-diameter electric wire such as power source wire, however, it is difficult to form the large-diameter electric wire, and therefore more difficult to wire the large-diameter electric wire inside a restricted vehicle space. In addition, because the large-diameter electric wire require large bend radius, a large space is required for accommodating the electric wire.
In view of this, direct connection without wire harness has been considered recently. In this case, because receiving connectors of each electric device are directly connected to each other, the receiving connectors require a structure to absorb misregistration between the receiving connectors which are to be connected to each other (i.e., misregistration by assembly error or component tolerance). Further, in case of heavy weight of the electric devises, because large impact load to the receiving connectors at the time of engaging with each other may damage the receiving connectors, the receiving connectors require a structure to absorb the impact load at the time of engaging.
Proposed as the receiving connectors provided with a structure to absorb the misregistration or the impact load is a floating connector shown, e.g., in patent document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-277217). As shown in FIG. 12, the floating connector 201 includes, a terminal 210 connected to a termination of an electric wire 207, an inner housing 204 accommodating the terminal 210, an outer housing 203 movably accommodating the inner housing 204, a spring washer 202 that is arranged between the inner housing 204 and an inner bottom surface 203a in the outer housing 203, and biases the inner housing 204 in the direction toward a mating connector, and allows the inner housing 204 to be movably attached within the outer housing 203. Further, the electric wire 207 is passed through a through-bore 205 provided in the inner bottom surface 203a of the outer housing 203, and derived outside the floating connector 201.
In the floating connector 201, the spring washer 202 is elastically deformed so that the terminal 210 is connected to the terminal of the mating connector at the time of engaging, and therefore the inner housing 204 moves within the outer housing 203 to absorb the misregistration between the inner housing 204 and the mating connector. Further, the spring washer 204 absorbs the impact load applied to the inner housing 204 by engaging with the mating connector.                [Patent Document 1] JP, A, 2000-277217        